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009
Physics Building
University of Saskatchewan Heritage Register
November ■ 2014
009
Physics Building
Alternate Names
Science Building
Architect(s)
David R. Brown and Hugh Vallance, Brown and Vallance
Architects, Montreal
Builders
Smith Brothers and Wilson, General Contractors
Construction Dates
1919-1921
Recognition
University of Saskatchewan ‘A’ Listed
1. Statement of Significance
Figure 1.
Materials of the
Physics
Building:
greystone
complemented
by
Indiana
limestone with a granite base.
University of Saskatchewan Heritage Register ■ 7-88
The Physics Building is a significant heritage building at the
University of Saskatchewan, constructed between 1919 and
1921, and designed by the architectural firm of David Brown
and Hugh Vallance of Montreal. It has heritage value as one of
a collection of early stone buildings located around ‘The Bowl’,
a large landscaped courtyard forming the heart of the campus.
The Canadian Register of Historic Places has called this group
of buildings “the finest collection of Collegiate Gothic university
buildings in Canada.” The Physics Building was originally
planned to be constructed as part of a second phase of buildings
including a second residence, a chemistry building and an arts
building. The Physics Building was approved in principle at an
April 1914 meeting, at an estimated cost of $100,000, but was
delayed in favour of the residence and wasn’t tendered until
November 12, 1914. By this time the First World War had begun
and the Physics Building was postponed for another five years.
Architect David Brown redesigned the Physics Building for
lack of any other work to do in the office during these years of
hardship.
Figure 2. The Physics Buliding as viewed from the Bowl in June, 1960. This photograph was taken before additions
were made to either end of the building. Photo A-670, retrieved from http://scaa.sk.ca/gallery/uofs_buildings/
After the war, the Physics Building became a project of special
concern for the university. President Walter Murray appealed to
the Board of Governors, “in the strongest manner possible the
urgency of the need for the Physics Building.” The need arose
from a lack of laboratory and general classroom space; without
the Physics Building, the university would have had to turn
students away. In 1921 Murray’s concerns were assuaged and the
Physics Building was completed according to the 1909 plan.
The Physics Building was situated such that it closed the northern
vista of The Bowl, which was at that time surrounded by open
prairie. Boasting the first real lecture theatre at the university,
the Physics Building soon became used by all colleges and
departments. The lecture theatre and classroom space gave the
university the ability to grow and accommodate more students.
The final sum of construction costs for the building was $437,000.
Note: The Physics Building is configured with floors numbered
Basement, First Floor, Second Floor and Attic. This report
follows the same convention.
Figure 3. Main entrance to the Physics
Building.
Physics Building ■ 7-89
2. Character - Defining Elements
2.1 Materials
The exterior of the Physics Building was designed to match in
style and materials the other buildings already constructed
around The Bowl. Its walls are constructed of local ‘greystone’,
with Indiana limestone for cut stone decoration and window
surrounds, and a granite base course (Figure 1). Granite was
also used for the exterior steps leading up to the main entrance
(Figure 3). The greystone walls of the Physics Building were
built in the ‘scotch masonry’ style, with squared stones laid up in
a a more tightly coursed pattern than on the earlier MacKinnon
Building. The architect described the effect as “stiff and formal”.
The roof of the Physics Building features slate tiles. The stone
façade of the Physics Building and its slate tile roof are characterdefining elements. (For further information on building stones
used at the U of S, refer to ‘Appendix: Stone.’)
Figure 4. Main staircase: steel and iron
balustrade and stringers, oak banister. The
concrete treads are not original.
Figure 5. Patterned glazing in a quarter
sawn oak door.
In the entry foyer, the original slate stair treads have been
replaced by concrete steps. Both the exterior doors and the
interior vestibule doors are in oak. On all the foyer walls brick
is used to create arches supporting a vaulted plaster ceiling.
Public corridors also feature brick wainscoting and arches with
plaster walls and ceilings (Figure 25). Corridor floors are slate
with inset red clay tile. Doors and door surrounds are quarter
sawn oak, featuring glazed panels. The glazing of the panels
features a character-defining frosted pattern that renders the
panels transluscent (Figure 5). Some of these glazed panels have
been replaced with oak to obstruct the view between corridor
and classroom; such is the case at the doors of the lecture theatre.
Transoms are composed of three glazed lites. In some instances
they have been replaced with a single lite or another material.
Window frames are fashioned out of steel and where there are
latches they are brass, as shown in Figure 6. Brass ventilation
grilles, some painted, are found throughout the building. Cast
iron radiators, although
painted, are still found
throughout the building
(Figure 7).
Figure 7. Cast iron radiator.
Figure 6. Brass window latches.
University of Saskatchewan Heritage Register ■ 7-90
The main staircase in the Physics Building shares many
characteristics with other early University of Saskatchewan
buildings, such as the MacKinnon Building: slate treads, and
oak handrails supported by steel and iron balusters (Figure 4).
The commemorative integrity of the staircase is diminished
by the fact that the treads between the ground and first floor
have been replaced with concrete. The remaining original slate
treads in the Physics Building were replaced with matching slate
in 2012. Two secondary staircases also exist in the building: a
narrow flight of stairs leading from the Second Floor to the Attic
level and roof, and an interconnecting spiral stair between the
Second storey and the Attic. Both of these secondary staircases
are constructed of iron and steel (Figure 8).
Figure 8. Steel and iron staircase.
The third floor or attic features a material set completely different
from the rest of the building. Shown in Figure 9, the walls appear
to be made of painted wood as well as the doors. The floor is
painted concrete and the original ceiling has been covered by a
suspended acoustic tile system. Steel roof trusses, which form
part of the roof structure, are also partially exposed in the attic
level (Figure 10). (See Section 2.6 Systems).
The lecture theatre (Figure 11) is a character-defining element,
but many of its material finishes have been altered over time.
The concrete risers and wooden tablet-arm chairs are original.
The painted wood ceiling, painted wood wall panelling and
accoustic panels on the walls and ceilings were the product of
later renovations. The brick
walls have also been painted.
The original oak and slate
chalkboard, although worn,
has not been refinished.
The original steel and iron
balustrade is pictured in
Figure 11. Overall, this
room has a high level of
commemorative integrity.
Figure 9. Attic corridor.
The interiors of rooms
Figure 11. Lecture theatre: steel and
iron balustrade and desk mounts,
original windows and concrete
risers.
Figure 10. Steel truss.
Physics Building ■ 7-91
now used for offices have been maintained to a high level of
commemorative integrity although some alterations have been
made. Flooring in many offices has been replaced by vinyl
composite tile (VCT). Many doors between offices are no longer
functional, however, in many cases they exist in their original
state. Original wooden moldings are still in place near the
ceilings although they have been painted. In many offices the
original windows have been retrofitted with new aluminum
framed secondary glazing (Figure 12). This method allows for
the original windows to be kept, while improving their thermal
performance. Many of the original large window and transom
frames feature hinged blind covers. No original blinds are known
to remain. (See Section 2.6 Systems).
2.2 Form
Figure 12. Modern aluminum framed
secondary glazing over the interior of the
original windows.
Figure 13. Plan view of the Physics
Building. The original built portion is
indicated in green. North is to the left.
University of Saskatchewan Heritage Register ■ 7-92
The Physics Building is a T-shaped building in plan, laid out
with its primary axis parallel to the central axis of The Bowl. Its
secondary axis is laid out perpendicular to to the first, aligned
with the centre of The Bowl and protruding to the north of the
building. The architects intended for the Physics Building to
eventually take the shape of an H, with two hallways joined by
lecture theatres at the centre. Figure 13 illustrates the original
plan, and the form of the building as constructed in 1921.
The Physics Building as built functions as an enclosure, defining
the northern edge of The Bowl. The height of the Physics Building
includes a half exposed basement, two floors above ground
and an attic. This makes the massing of the Physics Building
consistent with the scale of the other buildings which ring The
Bowl; an important factor in maintaining the pedestrian scale of
the central campus.
Figure 15. The betatron room.
Figure 14. View looking north at the Physics Building ca. 1962.
(The Betatron addition had been made at this point but is not
visible from this point of view). Photo A-10687, retrieved from
http://scaa.sk.ca/gallery/uofs_buildings/
The form of the Physics Building has been added to over time.
Figure14 shows the original form. For a plan view of the original
form refer to Figure 13. In 1948 the Betatron Building was built
as a one storey addition accessible through the basement of the
Physics Building. The Betatron Addition featured thickened
concrete walls to contain the gamma rays being researched there.
This addition also featured a small concrete chamber for gamma
rays to be shot into and measured. The thickened walls of the
chamber are shown in Figure 15. Between 1966 and 1967, an
addition to the Physics Building was constructed to the southeast.
Figure 16. A July 1964 Architect’s Model
for the Physics Building Addition. Photo
A-4381, retrieved from http://scaa.sk.ca/
gallery/uofs_buildings/
A similar modification was made to the building’s form on the
north-west where a link to the Geology Building has joined the
the two buildings, as seen in Figure 17.
These adaptations came to form a continuous building face that
fully encloses the north side of The Bowl. All three additions
change the commemorative integrity of the form of the Physics
Buildings by adding to its massing; however, none of the additions
have removed any of the pre-existing form. The 1966-67 Physics
Additionand the Biology Building are beyond the scope of this
report.
Figure 17. L to R: the facades of the
Geology and Physics Buildings.
Physics Building ■ 7-93
Figure 18. A recessed, vaulted entryway
with pointed arches is a Collegiate Gothic
character-defining element. Other typical
Collegiate Gothic decorative elements,
such as grotesques, heraldry and reliefs
are absent.
Figure 19. A drawing specifying ornamentation around the
main entry. Retrieved from Facilities Management Division Asset
Record System, File P-6-T.
2.3 Style
Figure 20. Arched windows, stone piers
and spandrels.
University of Saskatchewan Heritage Register ■ 7-94
With these additions to the Physics Building, none of the
original stylistic elements of the building appear to have been
altered; the original building maintains its Collegiate Gothic
style with a high degree of commemorative integrity. While the
Betatron addition, completed in 1948, largely blends in with its
predecessor, the 1966-67 addition stands as a contrasting element
from which the original Physics Building is easily discernible.
The Geology Building sympathizes with the Physics Building,
making use of greystone, bay windows and stone peirs but is also
a clearly differentiated building.
The exterior of the Physics Building features a number of
elements associated with the Collegiate Gothic style. The main
elevation, facing The Bowl, is composed of a row of windows
on each of the basement, first and second floors, terminated at
either end by a more prominent end bay. Both end bays feature
a gabled roof line and a large double-height arched window
opening (Figure 23). The central element of the façade is the
main entrance, whose double doors are recessed within an
intricately carved gothic vault. This recess is framed by Indiana
limestone piers (Figure 18). A row of horseshoe arches in the
form of tracery decorates the two piers (Figure 21). Further
ornamentation was originally specified, but never carried out.
Figure 19 shows this ornamentation in the form of carved stone
statuary and reliefs, but the stone blocks intended to be carved
still stand blank, awaiting decoration. Figures 18 and 21 both
show the blank stonework that was intended to be decorated.
At the basement level, a series of Indiana limestone piers align
with the structural frame. The first floor windows all have
arched openings. The second floor windows are rectangular,
and feature stone spandrel panels. The roof line is punctuated
by a row of narrow decorative archer-slots. Figure 20 shows the
basement level peirs, the arched first floor windows, and the
second floor windows and spandrels.
Figure 21. Horseshoe arch reliefs decorate
either side of the main entry.
Collegiate Gothic elements are continued inside the building.
The entrance vestibule features brick walls and arches, and a
second set of oak doors, with an arched wooden transom. In
the corridors, a brick wainscotting is extended to form brick
archways around door openings (Figure 25). The doors also
feature arched transoms. Many of the interior windows share
this arched shape. Many secondary hallways feature vaulted
ceilings and arched entries. Figure 22 shows some of these
interior elements. The attic contains heritage value in the large
arched windows of the two end bays, which are set at floor height
and nearly reach the ceiling (Figure 30).
The staircases serving this building also contain character
defining Collegiate Gothic elements. The central staircase
features ornate cast iron and steel balustrades. An iron and steel
balustrade featuring decorative finials adorns the second level of
the main lecture theatre. These character-defining elements are
discussed in the Materials section; refer to Figure 4.
Figure 22. A vaulted ceiling and brick
wainscoting.
Physics Building ■ 7-95
Figure 23. A 1917 elevation of the Physics Building. Retrieved from Facilities Management Division Asset
Record System, File P-6-T.
2.4 Location
The location of the Physics building is faithful to the 1909
Campus Plan by Brown and Vallance (Figure 24). In that plan,
The Bowl is located at the intersection of two axes, which divide
it into four quadrants. The Physics Building is centred on the
secondary axis dividing The Bowl.
The Physics Building encloses the northern edge of The Bowl
and sits directly parallel to it. A straight axis can be drawn from
the grand entrance of the building to the outdoor quadrangle
between Saskatchewan and Qu’Appelle Halls known as Voyageur
Place. The prominent location of the Physics Building has
maintained its commemorative integrity and is a characterdefining element.
2.5 Spatial Configuration
Figure 24. The location of the Physics
Building on the 1909 Campus Plan is
indicated in green. North is to the left.
University of Saskatchewan Heritage Register ■ 7-96
As discussed earlier, the Physics Building is T-shaped in plan.
The longer bar form, which sits parallel to the central axis of The
Bowl, was arranged on each of the basement, first and second
floors as a series of rooms arrayed along a double-loaded corridor
(Figure 26). These rooms contained laboratories, classrooms and
offices. The second volume of the building, which extends from
its north side, contained the larger space of the lecture theatre,
which spans between the first and second floors.
Several changes have been made to the spatial configuration of
the Physics Building. The main corridor on the ground floor no
longer terminates in rooms at either end. With the continuation
of the building into the Physics Addition on one side and the
Geology Building on the other, the corridor has now been
lengthened to become a conduit through the building rather
than one for purely internal circulation. Figures 27 and 28 show
the changes to the spatial configuration of the building on the
east and west end of the corridor respectively.
The basement’s spatial configuration has been changed in a
similar fashion. Figure 26 shows its original layout. The east
portion of the basement has been reconfigured to connect to
the basement of the Physics Addition. The large lab that Figure
26 shows at the end of the basement corridor has become an
extension of the hallway. Figure 27 shows this change. The west
end of the basement has not been extended.
Figure 25. The main corridor of the
Physics building relies on electric light.
Figure 26. A 1917 basement floor plan shows labs at either end of the main corridor. Retrieved from Facilities
Management Division Asset Record system, File P-10-T.
Physics Building ■ 7-97
The application of suspended ceiling tiles in the basement has
reduced the height of these spaces. The ceiling in the northern
portion of the building has not been covered. Where the dropped
ceiling has been installed, some transoms have been partially
obscured. Fluorescent lighting has been installed within the
suspended ceiling tile system and now provides the majority of
the light in the corridors.
The ground and second floors retain their high ceilings. The
spacious dimensions of the corridors are a character-defining
element. High ceilings also remain in many of the adjacent
rooms. The tall windows that allow abundant daylight into these
rooms have also been maintained, and contribute significantly
to the character of these spaces.
Figure 27. The main corridor features
brick walls, terra cotta and slate floor
tiles. A suspended ceiling tile system has
obscured some of the transom windows
above the doors.
Figure 28. Lobby of the Physics Addition.
University of Saskatchewan Heritage Register ■ 7-98
The rooms in the attic space are also filled with daylight, owing
to the large skylights and arched windows there. The skylights
are original features, which retain their character and are useful
in lighting offices, equipment rooms and labs. These skylights
are important in defining the light and airy character of the attic.
The exposure of the steel truss system, the high ceilings and
sloped walls of the attic are all elements integral to the quality of
this space (Figure 30).
As the university’s first true lecture theatre, the double height
lecture hall in the Physics Buliding is an important space in
the history of the University of Saskatchewan. The space still
holds great commemmorative integrity in its tall proportions,
large windows and steeply sloping risers. These tenets serve to
enhance the perception of the height of the room and define it
as the Physics Building’s grand academic space. (See Figure 11
Section 2.1 Materials).
2.6 Systems
The primary structure of the Physics Building consists of castin-place concrete floors supported by load-bearing brick and
stone walls at the exterior, and by two parallel brick walls on
the interior. The floors are built in an unusual way, with castin-place concrete poured over and embedding hollow clay tile
blocks. Figure 31 shows this unique flooring structure. Concrete
beams support this assembly. The same clay tile and concrete
structure was used in the Thorvaldson Building at the University
of Saskatchewan, and in both cases reflects experimentation with
concrete structures during the early years of their application.
The roof structure over the laboratory wing in the Physics
Building consists of a sloped concrete slab with embedded steel
I beam purlins on a system of steel trusses. Steel columns and a
steel truss system support the roof structure as shown in Figure
30. The truss system spans the width of the roof and continues
along the slanted walls created by the slope of the roof. The walls
that have been added in the attic now conceal the steel column
supports shown in Figure 30. The steel truss remains visible in
the attic. The roof structure over the lecture theatre is a cast-inplace concrete slab with embedded steel I beam purlins.
A notable innovation in the Physics Building relates to the
provision of electricity. Each work station was equipped with
access to gas, compressed air, and both A/C and D/C power
outlets. In fact all rooms were built with these conduits in case
their conversion into physics labs became necessary. At the time
of construction it was common practice for D/C power to be
provided by means of a portable battery. The Physics Building
was built with a large storage battery in the basement wired to a
distribution panel so that electrical current could be transmitted
to any room. This method was shown to be superior and attracted
a lot of attention from other universities building physics labs in
later years.
Figure 29. The west wall of the Physics
Building now makes up part of the interior
of the Geology Building.
Figure 30. Attic: large gothic arched
window, exposed truss and high sloped
ceiling.
Physics Building ■ 7-99
Figure 33. Fire hose carrier.
Figure 31. A 1917 section shows the roof structure of the Physics
Building. Retrieved from Facilities Management Division Asset
Record System, File P-2-T.
Figure 34. Hinged oak valance.
Figure 32. A 1917 section shows the floor structure of the Physics
Building. Retrieved from Facilities Management Division Asset
Record System, File P-2-T.
The building also still carries remnants of more common
systems at the time. For example, fire hose carriers can still be
found attached to some of the stand pipes (Figure 33). Also,
as the building was constructed for use in scientific education
and experimentation, many of the windows and transoms were
equipped with hinged valance boxes (Figure 34). The valences
were presumably provided to house dark blinds for controlling
light levels in the labs. Some windows still have built-in chases
and provisions for tying down the blinds. The hinged valences
remain, but no blinds are known to still exist.
University of Saskatchewan Heritage Register ■ 7-100
2.7 Use(s)
The Physics Building was originally used for classrooms,
laboratories, equipment, recitation rooms and offices. It
housed biology laboratories until a Biology Building could be
constructed. As Figure 35 shows, the ground floor originally
housed an apparatus room, an optics laboratory, offices and
classrooms. When the building was first occupied in 1921,
biology was allotted the two large ground floor labs, the large
lab at the west end of the basement and a number of smaller
rooms in the basement for offices. Physics occupied the rest of
the building aside from a few other assorted uses.
Figure 35. 1917 first floor plan for the Physics Building. Rooms were arranged with the assumption that professors
would use minimal lab space in conjunction with classrooms and offices to carry out their research. Retrieved from
Facilities Management Division Asset Record System, File P-9-T.
Physics Building ■ 7-101
Figure 36. The ground floor has a seminar
room where an apparatus room used to be.
Figure 37. East end of the ground floor
corridor.
These other uses included a room for the Dominion Soil Analyst,
the Shortt Library of Canadiana, a small medical library,
and one room each for storage and a seismograph, all in the
basement. The Physics Library was located on the second floor
and in later years on the west end of the ground floor. It was
incorporated into the Natural Science Library around 1986. The
attic was used for varied purposes. Approximately four to five
years after construction was completed the attic was divided into
several spaces. These saw numerous occupancies: a lab for soil
science, a painting studio for noted artist Augustus Kenderdine,
storage for museum material from settlers originating in Central
Europe, a room for binding books for the university library and
the workspace of a taxidermist. Designated in the architect’s
drawings as museum space, the attic level is now home to
graduate student offices, individual labs and equipment storage.
On the first floor, the rooms have in most cases retained their
original size and configuration, but their uses have changed.
This reflects the evolution of teaching and research practices
over time. These rooms were designed on the historical
assumption that experiments and research would be carrioed
out by professors in small individual lab spaces. With changes
in class size and experimentation methods these rooms were no
longer sufficient for such uses and now house individual offices.
Similarly, the room labelled ‘Apparatus Room no. 8’ in Figure 35
is now a seminar room, as shown in Figure 36.
The second floor has undergone much the same transformation
as the first floor: from classroom space to office space. Once
home to labs, offices, apparatus and recitation rooms it now
houses the laboratories and offices of the Institute of Space and
Atmospheric Studies. The rooms terminating either end of the
first floor corridor are still existent and in use. Figure 38 shows
the original uses of the second floor.
The main lecture hall pictured in Figure 39 is a character-defining
element indicative of the building’s original use. The room has
stayed true to its original purpose and retains its commemorative
integrity.
University of Saskatchewan Heritage Register ■ 7-102
Figure 38. The 1917 second floor plan. Retrieved from Facilities Management Division Asset Record System,
File P-8-T.
2.8 Cultural & Chronological Associations
In the circumstances of its delayed construction, the Physics
Building may be associated with the First World War and the
economic situation it created. The unfinished stone decoration
at the main entry is also perhaps an indication of these economic
difficulties (Figure 40).
Nobel prize winner Dr. Gerhard Herzberg is associated with
the Physics Building. He was a member of the University of
Saskatchewan Physics Department from 1935 to 1945. Herzberg
was a physicist and physical chemist, who won the Nobel Prize
for Chemistry in 1971, “for his contributions to the knowledge of
electronic structure and geometry of molecules, particularly free
radicals”.[2]. Herzberg’s work is commemorated in the Physics
Addition as shown in Figure 41.
Figure 39. The University of Saskatchewan’s
first lecture hall.
Physics Building ■ 7-103
3. Associated Objects
The collection of Dr. Gerhard Herzberg memorabilia on display
in the lobby of the Physics Building contributes to its character.
Figure 42 shows another set of items that records the heritage of
the building: a collection of photographs depicting the Physics
Club through the years 1930 – 1967 is located on the ground
floor, north of the staircase. They record a social aspect of
campus life specifically linked to the Physics Building.
Figure 40. Stone blanks over the entrance
to the Physics Buildings were intended for
future carved decoration, but were never
completed.
Figure 41. A display in honor of Nobel
Laureate Dr. Gerhard Herzberg.
In October of 1983 a plaque and display case were dedicated
inside the Physics building to commemorate the contribution
of Dr. Balfour Currie and Dr. Frank Davies during the Second
International Polar Year. Figure 43 shows the plaque being
dedicated to the events happening in 1932-1933. The display
case holds record books with observations as well as an auroral
intensity recorder and original auroral photos.
Many objects of heritage value are stored in the building. These
are shown in Figures 44 through 47. In the basement of the
Physics Addition, old equipment and apparatus are stored.
Objects of interest include: glass instruments hand blown by
former Department Head Ertle Herrington (Figure 44), parts
from the 1948 Betatron (Figure 45) and the first X -Ray unit in
Western Canada (Figure 46).
Architects Brown and Vallance designed furnishings for the
Physics Building that are shown in Figure 47.
Figure 42. The Physics Club in photographs
dating from 1930 to 1967.
University of Saskatchewan Heritage Register ■ 7-104
4. Supporting Documents
Currie, B.
(1976).
The Physics Department 1910-1976
University of Saskatchewan.
Saskatoon: University of
Saskatchewan.
Rangacharyulu, C. Personal communication, June 10, 2011.
Facilities Management Division (2011).
Asset Record System
[Data File]. Retrieved from \\usask\ fmddfs\files\iis\IIS_
Public\ARS
Kerr, Don. (1989). Building the University of Saskatchewan
1907-1930. Prairie Forum, 5(2), 157-181.
Thomas, LH. (1959). The University of Saskatchewan 1909-1959.
Saskatoon: University of Saskatchewan.
University of Saskatchewan Archives.
Buildings and Grounds
Department 2015, 12, Presbyterian College, a) Brown
D.R., c) Smith Bros, e) Miscellaneous.
Figure 43. 24 October 1983. Elva Currie
(left) and Nell Davies unveil a plaque in the
Physics Building to mark the contribution
of their late husbands Drs. Balfour Currie
and Frank Davies during the second
International Polar Year in 1932-1933. Photo
A-8619, retrieved from http://scaa.sk.ca/
gallery/uofs_buildings/
University of Saskatchewan Archives. (Retrieved 2011). Campus
Buildings: Physics Building. Retrieved from http://scaa.
sk.ca/gallery/uofs_buildings/
Figure 44. Glass instruments hand blown
by Ertle Harrington.
Figure 45. A part used in the betatron, ca.
1948.
Physics Building ■ 7-105
5. Summary of Character - Defining
Elements
Figure 46. Dr. Herbert Weaver’s X-Ray
Machine, the Ranney-Wimshurt-Holtz static
machine. Dr. Weaver moved to Saskatoon
in 1905 and the X-Ray machine arrived in
1906, making it Western Canada’s first X-Ray
unit.
Materials ■ greystone walls
■ Indiana limestone trim and decoration
■ slate roofing and floors
■ quarter sawn oak doors,
frames
and window surrounds
■ patterned glazing
■ red clay tile floors
■ grey granite base course
■ brick interior walls,
wainscoting
and arches
■ plaster walls and ceilings
■ steel framed windows
■ brass door and window
hardware and grates
■ cast iron and steel tablet arm
chairs
■ cast iron and steel staircase
with slate treads
■ cast iron radiators
■ slate chalkboard
Form ■ scale (3 storey height)
Style ■ arches and gothic arches(doors,
windows, entries, transoms)
■ keystones
■ stone piers
■ string courses
■ absence of stone ornament
■ stone spandrel panels
■ horseshoe arches
Figure 47. Apparatus cases designed for the
building by Brown and Vallance Architects.
University of Saskatchewan Heritage Register ■ 7-106
■ vaulted plaster ceilings
Location ■ on secondary axis of the
Bowl
■ enclosing northern edge of
the Bowl
■ terminates axis of Voyageur
Place
Spatial Configuration ■ double loaded corridors
■ small, individual ‘lab spaces’
■ double height lecture theatre
■ high ceilings
Systems ■ concrete floors with embedded
clay tile
■ remaining components of
historical power distribution
system
■ fire hose carriers
■ exposed truss in attic
■ hinged blind boxes
Use(s)■ continuous use for physics
education and research
(classes, labs, apparatus
storage, offices, recitation
rooms, workshops)
■ studio of Augustus Kenderdine
Cultural &
Chronological
Associations
■ first lecture theatre (housed
classes from every
department)
■ unfinished stone ornamentation
■ Nobel Prize winner Dr.
Gerhard
Herzberg
Physics Building ■ 7-107